


Battlin' Matt

by Corpium



Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Ableism, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Matt beats the shit out of a Trump Neo-Nazi, Post-Season/Series 02, That's it, gotta carry on cap's time-honored tradition, that's the plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-06
Updated: 2016-05-06
Packaged: 2018-06-06 17:21:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6763141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corpium/pseuds/Corpium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An asshole harasses a homeless guy. Matt's out of costume, but he loses his temper anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Battlin' Matt

**Author's Note:**

> Never been to Hell's Kitchen, so random intersection is random.  
>    
>  ______________________________  
> For the kink meme prompt: _"So for reasons someone is assaulting/baiting Matt. Maybe they've targeted him because of his blindness. Matt...is not having the easiest life at the moment and, well, the Murdocks have the Devil in them._
> 
> _Said person is surprised when Blindy McBlindySon is beating the ever living shit out of them with exceeding accuracy and boxing techniques._
> 
> _People then remember that yeah, the Murdocks have the devil in them."_

When Matt locks the door of Nelson & Murdock for the last time, his knuckles ache with a frenetic energy, and he wishes he could run right across the rooftops to his apartment and slip on the suit. Unfortunately, it’s day-time, and people and news helicopters tend to notice things like that.

So he walks home as fast as he can without inciting the public's curiosity, his cane tap-tap-tapping away at the sidewalk. Passersby hastily make way for the blind man, as they do, and Matt thinks he’ll make it home without having to speak a word.

Of course, nothing works out as he intends, and he hears an asshole harassing Rob, the beggar at the intersection of 44th and 10th, about a block away from Matt’s current location. Rob’s been there since Matt was eleven. He talks to himself, smells like alcohol, and he feeds alley cats even though he’s allergic to them. Matt tunes in when he hears him say, “Leave me alone.”

“Oh, come on, you’re the one who approached me,” says another man, peevish, heart rate elevated. “Least you can do is give me some respect. _I_ have a job after all.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Rob mumbles, and Matt picks up the pace.

“Yeah, you should be sorry. You know, I just finished up a 40 hour week of hard work. The last thing I want is some stupid hobo trying to bum drug money off me.”

“S’not for drugs.”

“Oh, my bad, it’s for alcohol, isn’t it.”

The muscle in Matt’s jaw jumps.

“Fuckin’ drunks like you, man, sucking up all our tax dollars through Welfare and food stamps and all that bullshit like fuckin’ leeches. I mean, come on, you got it so good, man, I’d like to see you try this parasitic shit in Africa. Maybe then you’d get off your ass and pull your own weight.”

The vitriol keeps going on like that, Rob shaking and silent, no one else speaking up for him until Matt reaches the pair.

“Is there a problem here?” he asks, careful to keep his voice soft and even in an attempt to calm the asshole down.

“You’re damn right there’s a problem--” says the asshole, but Matt’s not having it.

“I was asking Rob,” Matt says, voice clipped. He slips his cane into his pocket.

“Rob!?”

Rob giggles. “That’s me. I’m Rob. Rich rockin’ Rob.”

“Yeah,” says Matt with a small smile. “You alright, Rob?”

Rob mumbles incoherently, and the asshole gestures, bulky arms spread wide. He’s tall and thick, and even if Matt wasn’t highly sensitive he’d be able to tell that the guy wears way too much Axe cologne. “You think you’re pullin’ some kinda good samaritan shit, dude? This asshole on the ground’s--” He kicks Rob’s leg, jostling Rob’s cup of change, and coins jingle and clink across the ground “--a menace--”

“Hey,” says Matt, pushing the asshole away from Rob, who’s scrambling to collect all the change. “Watch it,” he says, voice taut with restraint. He just wants to go home and blow off some steam, for God’s sake.

The asshole grabs Matt by the collar, and Matt hates that he has to let him. “Yeah, and what are you gonna do, blind guy?” He shakes Matt. “Call the cops? I bet you can’t even find the buttons on your phone.”

Matt grabs the man’s wrists. “Get your hands off me,” he murmurs.

“Sorry, I can’t hear you,” says the asshole, pulling Matt closer, his breath hot in Matt’s face. He smells like rancid steak. “You’re gonna have to be a little louder.”

“Murdock,” says Rob, and Matt hears him try to get to his feet. “S’okay.”

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Matt warns, and the man has the gall to laugh in his face, spittle flying.

“Oh, yeah, a cripple like you, you’re really scary.” Matt’s heart beats like a drum in his head, and the man pushes him against the wall. “You go on your way, blind man, and I’ll forget this ever happened,” he hisses. “You hear me?”

(Some passersby stop at the corner, a couple of women, several feet away, their attention drawn by the commotion. “Whoa,” says one to the other. “Should we do something?”)

“You walk away, too,” Matt says, and he’s trying so hard to be patient.

The man pulls away, crossing his arms. “This isn’t a negotiation, buddy, but, hey, you’ve got pluck. I can respect that.”

Matt straightens his tie. “So you’ll walk away?”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” he says, and he’s not _quite_ lying. “After you.” Matt can hear him gesture grandly. He doesn’t move.

“Murdock,” says Rob. “Just go. M’glad. For this. It’s okay.”

“Yeah, you heard him. Just go.”

Damn. Matt wants to punch this guy so bad. But he won’t. Blind Lawyer Matt Murdock does not do that. Unfortunately.

Matt pulls out his cane. “I’ll be seeing you,” he says, and walks over to the crosswalk button, shoulders stiff. He’ll change into the Daredevil suit as soon as he gets home, he tells himself, and then he’ll come back and kick this guy’s ass. He’s just gotta make it home. He can do this.

He hits the button and waits by the two women, and the smug gaze of the asshole makes the hair prickle on the back of his neck. His knuckles tighten around his cane.

The walk sign switches on, beeping, and Matt knows he’s supposed to step forward. He will. Any second now. “I thought you said you’d walk away, too,” he says, not bothering to turn around.

“Oh, I will,” the asshole says. “Just not yet.” He kicks Rob’s cup of change over again, deliberately this time.

Matt’s blood burns. He tucks his cane away and walks back.

“Ooo, what are you gonna do now? Glare at me. Oh, wait--”

Matt punches him in the face, breaking his nose.

“What the fuck!?” The guy says, doubling over, while Rob guffaws and the two women gasp. “You motherfucker,” the guy yells, swinging a fist at him. He's not bad, actually.

But of course, Matt's better. He blocks and throws a jab and a right cross, and the man groans at the impact and throws himself at Matt. They grapple, and Matt shoves him away and punches him again and again, dodging and blocking, feet shifting into old patterns, all the while drawing the man away from Rob, who’s whooping and cheering. “Get’im, Murdock! Get’im!”

“Holy shit,” says one of the women, and cars honk when the ones in front of them stall in the street to watch. The man stumbles back, and Matt knocks him to the ground with a final hook, breathing hard and grinning. He’s proud of himself. He kept solely to jabs, crosses, and hooks. He didn’t even throw in an uppercut.

The asshole swipes blood away from his mouth, panting. “You’re not really blind, you asshole.”

Of course that’s the first thing that comes out of the guy’s mouth. Of course.

Before Matt can say anything, Rob crows. “Oh, he’s blind alright! You just crossed the wrong man, boy. That’s Battlin’ Jack’s son right there.”

“Battlin’ Jack -- who the hell is that?” asks the man.

(Meanwhile, one of the women, the short one, squeals and tugs on her friend’s arm. “Holy crap, did you hear that? I didn’t know he had a kid.”)

Matt keeps his attention on the asshole. “Google it.” He steps closer, and the man leans away. “Now, do we still have a problem, or are you finally gonna go?”

The man scrambles to his feet, holding his hands up, palms out. “I’m going, I’m going. No problem here.” He hastens away, whispering under his breath, “Fucking lunatic.”

Matt sighs and turns back to Rob. “You okay?”

He can hear the smile in Rob’s face. “Yeah, yeah I’m absolutely perfect now. That was amazing.”

“Is it true, sir?” asks one of the women, the short one. “Are you really Battlin’ Jack’s son?”

Matt nods.

“Whoa,” she says. “Can we -- can we take a picture together? I’m a huge fan.”

“She boxes,” explains the tall one.

Matt grins. “That’s great. Sure.”

“Sweet!” The woman wraps an arm around Matt. It’s been awhile since he’s had human contact. Not since Elektra. “I’m, uh, I’m holding the phone out now.” Matt looks in its general direction. “One, two, three.” The phone makes a little shutter sound, and the woman pulls away. “This is awesome. Thanks so much, man. Your form’s seriously on point, oh my--”

“We’re already running late, Nikki,” says her friend.

“Oh, damn. Okay. It was nice meeting you, dude. We really gotta run.”

“That’s fine. It’s nice to meet someone who remembers him. See you around.”

“See ya!”

The women hurry off, and Matt turns to Rob again. “You wanna grab a burger with me? Tell me about my dad?”

("Can we say that?" asks the tall woman. "'See ya'?"

"Oh, shit," says Nikki. "No, wait, he said 'see you around' first. It's fine.")

“You know what, yeah, yeah, I’d like that.” Rob gets to his feet and shakes his cup of change. “I’m buyin'.”

Matt snorts. “No, you’re not.”

Rob snorts back and takes Matt’s elbow, stumbling. He really does smell like alcohol. At least it's not Axe. “That was some show. Them Murdock boys,” he mumbles. “Used to say they got the devil in’em. Still true. Still true.”

Matt tugs Rob towards the light. “Burger joint's this way, Rob.”

“Right, right, I forgot.”

“They moved a few years ago,” Matt explains.

“Oh,” says Rob, and they continue on their way and get their burgers.

That night, _#BattlinMatt_ trends on twitter, and the next day the local news asks for an interview. More than one disabilities rights group asks him to give a speech, and Karen finally calls him again. When he goes to Confession, Father Lantom sighs in amusement. “I don’t think God will be too upset with you over this one, Matthew,” he says, and Matt just smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> Asshole dude supports Trump.


End file.
